


really wish you would

by DizzyRedhead



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Gotta feed the bunnies, M/M, No Smut, Yes I'm as surprised as you are, background holsom, gratuitous use of Taylor Swift lyrics, idk if this counts as songfic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 07:11:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10782051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyRedhead/pseuds/DizzyRedhead
Summary: In which Dex is cheesy as hell and Derek can't believe he's into it.





	really wish you would

**Author's Note:**

> When a fic starts writing itself in my head, the fastest way to get it out is to write it down. Right? Right. Otherwise known as, continuing adventures in bribing myself to write original fiction with dumb, cracky fic premises. 
> 
> Title, for soon to be obvious reasons, from "Sparks Fly" by Taylor Swift. The lyrics used in this fic also belong to Taylor; I didn't write them.

“...don’t even front, Poindexter, I’ve seen your Spotify,” Holster says in what he probably fondly believes is his inside voice. “This is happening.”

Derek can’t help but notice, which is honestly par for the fucking course when it comes to one William Jacob Poindexter. He’s mostly used to it, the way he’s always aware of where Dex is and what he’s doing. 

Despite this constant low-grade awareness, he’s still surprised when Holster drags Dex up onto a table in the middle of the kegster. Yes, Dex had a cup of tub juice instead of his usual beer at the beginning of the party, yes he’s been a little looser than usual tonight, a little less tightly wound. But he isn’t even really fighting Holster, just shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and flushing a delicate pink under the regard of the gathered crowd. He’s adorable, and it’s possible Derek’s had a bit to drink himself, because he’s afraid everything he’s thinking is written all over his face.

“Hit it, Bits,” Holster crows, smiling toothily as his eyes find Ransom in the crowd, pushing forward to stand next to Derek.

The generic EDM mix that had been playing fades out, replaced by an electric guitar riff with the strum of an acoustic overlaid on it. Derek doesn’t recognize the song; it sounds pretty generic Top 40, but Rans shakes his head ruefully, a reluctant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Another couple of bars and Holster starts singing along with the female vocalist, his eyes fixed firmly on Ransom’s face. 

“ _ The way you move is like a full-on rainstorm, _ _  
_ _ And I’m a house of cards--” _

Holster’s elbow plows into Dex’s ribs, almost knocking him off the table. Dex regains his balance and joins him on the next few lines, a surprisingly mellow tenor blending with Holster’s baritone.

“ _ You're the kind of reckless that should send me running _ _  
_ _ But I kinda know that I won't get far--” _

Out of the corner of his eye, Derek can see Lardo holding up her phone, and makes a mental note to get her to send him the video. But for right now he’s frozen, transfixed by the sight of Dex, his body loose and confident as he sings.

“ _ And you stood there in front of me just _ _  
_ _ Close enough to touch--” _

Dex’s eyes move up from the tabletop, meeting Derek’s with an almost physical impact. Derek’s taken checks that left him less physically shaken, with more air in his lungs. 

“ _ Close enough to hope you couldn't see _ _  
_ _ What I was thinking of--” _

Dex and Holster transition into flawless harmony like they’ve done it a hundred times as they hit the chorus, the kegster crowd going wild like they’re at an actual concert, but by now Derek is numb to surprise. The only thing that could surprise him at this point, he thinks absently, would be Jack climbing up on the table to join them.

“ _ Drop everything now _ __  
_ Meet me in the pouring rain _ __  
_ Kiss me on the sidewalk _ __  
_ Take away the pain _ _  
_ __ 'Cause I see, sparks fly, whenever you smile--”

Dex’s eyes are laser-focused, never leaving Derek’s face.

_ “Get me with those green eyes, baby _ __  
_ As the lights go down _ __  
_ Gimme something that'll haunt me whenever you're not around _ _  
_ __ 'Cause I see, sparks fly, when you smile--”

Derek feels trapped, pinned in place by Dex’s steady regard, by the words sliding off his tongue. It’s one thing to ignore his physical attraction to Dex, especially when he’s pretty sure it’s one-sided. But this? Dex’s warm amber eyes on his, his mouth shaping the words of a love song?

This is  _ dangerous _ .

“ _ My mind forgets to remind me _ _  
_ _ You’re a bad idea-- _ ”

Oh yes. This is the  _ worst _ idea. Derek can’t bring himself to care.

“ _ You touch me once and it's really something _ _  
_ _ You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be--” _

Dex looks like he’s challenging Derek, like he’s daring him to look away. Derek has never been able to back down from one of Dex’s dares, and it looks like tonight isn’t going to be the first time. So he looks back, doing his best to project that, yes, he’s imagined. He’s wanted.

“ _ I'm on my guard for the rest of the world _ __  
_ But with you I know it’s no good _ __  
_ And I could wait patiently _ _  
_ __ But I really wish you would--”

Ransom cackles as Holster breaks into an clearly-planned dance number through the next chorus, but it’s small and far away. Derek’s focus has narrowed down; Dex is the only person he sees, the only person he hears.

It’s surprisingly easy, for a change, to let go of the worries and the what-ifs and accept that this is going to happen. Maybe not tonight; they’ve both been drinking. Maybe not tomorrow, once Dex sobers up he might have second thoughts. But the pull between them, now that they’ve acknowledged it, however wordlessly, is as relentless as gravity and just as inevitable. Derek can’t imagine an ending where they don’t come together.

“ _ I run my fingers through your hair _ __  
_ And watch the lights go wild _ __  
_ Just keep on keeping your eyes on me _ _  
_ __ It’s just wrong enough to make it feel right--”

The driving beat is like a heartbeat behind the music, like the way Derek’s heart is hammering behind his ribs. 

_ “And lead me up the staircase _ _  
_ _ Won't you whisper soft and slow--” _

The drums fade, leaving just their voices--Holster, Dex, and the clear soprano on the track, with only guitar chords and piano to accompany them.

_ “I'm captivated by you baby _ _  
_ _ Like a fireworks show--” _

It’s the final chorus, and it’s not like Derek isn’t listening to the words. He is, with part of his mind, but he’s also dealing with a flood of mental images. Dex’s fingers combing through his hair, soft and gentle. Kissing him in the rain, wet and desperate. Leading him up the Haus stairs to a shared room, their hands clasped warm together. Whispering quiet words into his ear to see him blush that delicious color--

“-- _ whenever you smile _ \--” 

Derek doesn’t realize he is smiling back at Dex until he notices the vague ache in his cheeks. It feels like the ache after a good workout or a solid practice. It promises that he’s building something new.

The music fades finally, on one last, lingering electric guitar note, and the room is hushed for a split-second before erupting into riotous applause and cheers. Bitty sticks a finger and thumb into his mouth and lets out a piercing whistle as Dex and Holster take their bows.

It’s like the shock of plunging into a frozen lake, when they break eye contact. The spell is broken, too, and Derek feels small. Exposed, like the slightest touch would sear down his nerves.

He slips out of the Haus while everyone is clustered around Dex and Holster. He curses himself for a coward the whole way back to his dorm, but his feet don’t care. They carry him to his bed, where he lies awake half-dreading, half-wishing for a knock on the door before sinking into sleep.

In his dreams, Dex sings love songs to him between kisses.

* * *

The only good thing about gargling with Listerine, Derek decides, aside from the fact that it sears the drunk feeling off your tongue, is that he can’t actually call himself a coward and a dumbass while his mouth is full of it. Not out loud, at least. He spits it into the sink, giving himself an irritated look in the mirror before heading back toward his room, muttering under his breath.

The door closes behind him with a satisfying thunk. For a minute, Derek gives serious consideration to just crawling back into bed for the rest of the day. But his stomach, although a little uneasy, feels almost hollow with hunger. 

He’s reluctantly pulling on the first t-shirt that passes the sniff test--he has got to find time for laundry--when someone knocks on the door.

Derek rakes a hand through his hair, wincing when his fingers snag on the tangles, and goes to open the door, hoping against hope that it’s one of the other people who live on this floor, or one of the senior SMH members. Even Tango’s endless questions would be easier to deal with than--

Of course, when the door swings open, Dex is standing there, wearing the blue flannel that makes his eyes look even warmer, the one that always makes Derek’s fingers itch to touch. 

“Hey,” Dex says, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. “Can I, uh--”

Derek shakes himself out of his stupor and steps back, leaving room for Dex to come in. It’s not Dex’s fault he feels wrong-footed, standing there in his boxers and t-shirt while Dex is fully dressed. It’s not Dex’s fault that Derek wussed out.

“I looked for you last night,” Dex says, his voice soft and uncertain. “After--” he cuts himself off and Derek hears the words he didn’t say.  _ After I sang to you. _

“Yeah, I…” Derek runs his hand through his hair again, although he’s probably approaching Einstein levels of craziness right now. He sinks down onto his bed, shifting over automatically to make room for Dex to sit, too.  “I was drunk, and you were drunk--”

Dex nods, his eyes earnest. “Yeah, that’s why--I wanted to find you but--I thought--” He huffs out a little almost-laugh. “I wanted to talk to you. But I thought it would be better if I--if both of us were sober. Didn’t want you to think it was the tub juice talking.”

Derek wants to pretend it wouldn’t have mattered, but he knows that’s not true. Knows he would have picked at this, worried about it no matter how many times Dex reassured him. “Probably a good idea,” he allows, fiddling with a loose thread on his comforter. The idea that Dex knows him this well, that Dex thought about what he’d want...he feels warm all over. “What did you want to say?”

“I wanted…” Dex trails off for a minute, but then he takes a deep breath, waiting until Derek meets his eyes. “I wanted to say that I know it’s a dumb Taylor Swift song but...I meant it.”

“Yeah?” Derek breathes. Some part of him is afraid this is all a joke, a dream. That he’s going to wake up and nothing will have changed. But Dex’s hand is warm and real on his knee. Dex’s eyes are wide and hopeful and only inches away

Dex leans in, slowly, carefully, and Derek meets him halfway. The kiss is soft, gentle. Everything they haven’t been with each other. Everything Derek hopes they can be.

Derek starts smiling before the kiss really ends. He can’t help it, but he feels Dex’s mouth curve against his before they break apart, so it’s probably okay. 

“You literally used a Taylor Swift song to hit on me,” Derek laughs. “I can’t believe I’m in love with such a basic-ass white boy.”

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?” Dex shoots back. “Wait, you’re in love with me?”

Derek replays the last sentence in his head and winces a little. “Um. Yeah?”

Dex sighs, but he’s still smiling, which is the only reason Derek isn’t completely freaking out (okay, he’s freaking out a little. But, like. Manageable freaking out).

“Is that a problem?” he asks. It comes out a little more belligerent than he’d like, but Dex always did know how to push his buttons.

“Actually pretty handy, since I’m in love with you, too.” Dex smiles wider. “It’s a love story, baby just say yes,” he croons.

“Oh my God I hate you,” Derek laughs, shoving Dex just a little bit.

“No you don’t,” Dex says confidently, sliding a hand around the back of Derek’s neck and pulling him in for another kiss. A longer, deeper kiss. A loving kiss.

Derek rests his forehead against Dex’s when they finally break apart, just breathing each other’s air for a moment. “No I don’t.”

**Author's Note:**

> Since my brain can't do ridiculous premises without background information, have some headcanons:
> 
> -Derek likes Taylor Swift, even though he always feels like he has to hide it for a lot of reasons. But he and his sister used to listen to her music when they were younger. Taylor and early 2000s R&B always feel a little bit like home to him, and he has a special playlist he listens to when he's missing his sister  
> -Derek, surprise surprise, is a sucker for big romantic gestures like you see in the movies even though he tries to tell himself that they're not a good indication of the health of a relationship or people's compatibility. Still loves them.  
> -Dex's little cousins of all genders LOVE Taylor Swift. LOVE. He has been dragged into SOO many lipsyncing/dancing parties when he babysits. So many. But they love it the most when he sings to them, and he's a sucker for their pleading eyes.  
> -Dex learned how to sing in church. He joined choir in high school because he loves singing, but he told his brother it was because there were so many girls in choir and not a lot of guys.
> 
> If you like Check Please and other random content, feel free to [follow me on Tumblr](dizzy-redhead.tumblr.com).


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